


The end does (not always) justify the means

by miyu_skye



Series: Inconvenient Realizations [1]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Anal Sex, Caring, Dorks in Love, Gay Sex, Idiots in Love, Love/Hate, M/M, Magic, Mana Transfer, Pining, Sex Magic, Tsunderes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:40:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23243425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miyu_skye/pseuds/miyu_skye
Summary: Esreth is a young mage who just wants to concentrate on his studies. Azin, a sorcerer, wants to help him to increase the flow of his power, through the well-known (supposedly) process of mana transfer.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: Inconvenient Realizations [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671193
Kudos: 13
Collections: COW-T - the Clash Of the Writing Titans





	The end does (not always) justify the means

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second original work (first on AO3)! I always loved to create backstories for the characters I played during my Pathfinder sessions; this time I also wrote it down and gave my son a boyfriend (it will take a while for him to admit it to himself).  
> I'm thinking about making a sequel (I feel like I probably should), but I don't know if I should use the chapter format or the Series format, as I have some ideas but I still don't have a clear temporal plot yet.  
> Suggestions, comments, and kudos are welcome as always!

Esreth sighed for the umpteenth time that evening. It wasn’t possible. He had to concentrate on his Magic of Higher Planes book and he needed to prepare his spells for the next day. He wasn’t sure what kind of spells his party needed, as they stopped at that tavern only because their paladin needed to pee and they ended up remaining because their bard and their other paladin started ordering drinks for everyone. It wasn’t wise to stop their travel now; they weren’t very tired since they kept stopping on every tavern they met on their path for the last three days. Esreth was pretty sure that their quest could be regarded as much as done for. They had to reach a city in the neighboring country, which was supposedly a week of travel away from their starting point to investigate strange events happening in there. However, they weren’t able to travel as much as half of that distance during the current week. His party was so unorganized and every day it was harder and harder to decide the strategy to adopt in order to help them properly during their battles. They had the ability to pick all the wrong fights with enemies who were way too much powerful for their current status.

The young man had always been trained to be observant of the others; at his temple, he had very competent mentors who taught him the importance of good communication in a party. Ever since he completed his training as a wizard and received his investiture – probably the best day of his whole life - Esreth couldn’t wait to go on his first mission. He had been so enthusiastic when the Grand Master of his temple came to his room to announce that he would depart on a quest shortly.

His excitement was shut down almost immediately after meeting the members of his party.

Their self-appointed leader was a paladin elf: he was always so full of himself that he didn’t give too much space for the others to argue with him. Then, there was his fellow paladin, the former’s comrade of a life. Then there was the bard, a Halfling trying to hook with every girl he laid his eyes on. Apart from the two paladins and the bard, to whom he could forgive being a little lacking on the strategy matter, there was also him. An annoying individual, belonging to the most bothersome category there existed: a sorcerer. Esreth had always been studious and he was talented. He had always the best grades in every class he had ever taken and his teachers were showering him in praises and compliments. However, his years of studying over magic tomes were futile in front of Azin. From what he could grasp about his past, he had always had a connection with the elements of nature, which were more than happy to bend under his hands. Thus, that man was controlling nature so easily on one hand, while Esreth, on the other, had to gather all those useless items to be able to cast a single spell. His party members, perhaps because of their shallowness, were immediately taken him by his charms. It didn’t help that Azin was amiable and talkative; he effortlessly captured the attention of the whole group. As much as Esreth didn’t mind being confined only to healing magic, he felt that his companions were degrading him for that and it was a big blow on the mage’s ego. Maybe he should concentrate on the best healing spells he had.

As he was beginning to open his books on the matter, a louder laugh than the others reached his ears, distracting him once again. Well, it was to be expected from a tavern named Sister’s Lais Basin. Of course, it would be full of people wanting only to engage in these kinds of noisy activities. If only they could have been quiet during the whole matter. For a moment, he wondered if he could just drop everything and go downstairs to have fun with the others – he had suspected that some of the others thought he was being an elitist just because he didn’t like to linger in those pleasures of the flesh. But he couldn’t afford it.

Suddenly, he heard a voice from the hallways. Actually, there were three voices, two belonging to girls and one disturbingly familiar to the young mage. Azin. He was telling some kind of story – from the few words, Esreth was able to comprehend he was telling a story, their story? – to the girls who were accompanying him, presumably. Heh, he was lucky to have so much time to indulge in that kind of activity. Esreth didn’t want to judge him, everyone was free to live as they pleased but the situation was becoming unbearable. Azin’s obnoxious laugh was resonating outside his room a little too often and the boy wished he could lower his volume a bit. Standing up from his desk, he walked steadily to the door of his room, determined to ask his companion to let him study.

As he threw open the wooden door, which responded with a sharp creaking, Esreth stepped into the hallways, ready to give that damn Azin a piece of his mind. However, he just stared in silence as the trio looked back at him, bewildered by his sudden action. Azin had one girl on both sides: one of them was a fairly average city girl and the other one was an astoundingly beautiful half-elf. She was tall as much as Esreth and the boy couldn’t – and didn’t want to – imagine why someone would spend their night with a character such as Azin. The half-elf had beautiful blonde hair and icy blue eyes, and she was the most annoyed by the interruption. The young mage had always thought that elves were serious and dutiful, so it shocked him quite a bit to see one of their race so invested in being fucked by someone as that annoying sorcerer. However, the fact that bothered Esreth the most was, of course, related to Azin himself. He appeared to be in the middle of performing a cantrip, involving wind apparently, as the skirts of the two ladies were floating lightly in the air. 

‘Fuck that asshole’ was Esreth’s first thought. How dare he waste precious magical energy just to be cool with females. He was disrespecting of the Root itself, a disgrace to every magician ever. The fact that Esreth spent like three weeks to be able to make a feather levitate – his fellow wizards took way more than him, anyway – while that bastard probably woke up one day with the spell ready to be cast anytime didn’t really matter now. Well, probably it did, just a bit. That was the main reason the boy was so angry with the other in the first place. Those trivial matters weren’t important now, though. He just wanted to finish preparing for the following day and go to bed; everything he wanted was to sleep. He hoped Azin would be nice and let him do that. 

“Hey, Es.” He hated when that asshole called him that way. Why was he so intimate with him when they weren’t even friends? “Heh, sorry for making such a fuss. I didn’t think you were in your room.” That was it. Esreth had enough of his carefree attitude. He was making him so mad, and he probably wasn’t even aware of it, like everything else in his life. Asshole. 

“Well,” He started, voice trembling with anger. “You should know that not everyone in this world was born gifted,” Esreth put some emphasis on that word, full of spite. “…as you did. I don’t have time to indulge in those activities if you all want to stay alive tomorrow. I don’t expect you to understand me, though.” 

The other stared at him, unable to speak. 

“I ask you only of this. Just be silent and let me get ready properly for tomorrow. Preparing my spells has been impossible this evening because of all the noise you’ve been making.” Technically, it wasn’t Azin’s fault. Well, not entirely. The downstairs floor was being noisy enough, but Esreth was so mad at the other that he didn’t care. With those words, and without sparing another single glance to his companion, he turned his head away and retired in his room.

Luckily, because of the late hour, the noises downstairs toned down quite a bit – people were probably too drunk or too invested in other activities to be loud like before – and Esreth was beginning to regain his usual concentration. Suddenly, a soft knock to his door distracted him once again. Who the hell wanted to talk with him at that hour? It couldn’t be one of his party members, as they were probably asleep on the bar counter with a half-empty mug of beer in their hands. Azin, maybe? But why would he knock at his door when he had surely better company than him last night? 

Dragging himself to the door – fatigue was beginning to get to him – he opened it. There he was. Esreth didn’t bother anymore and let out an annoyed groan as he saw Azin’s figure in front of him. 

“Go to sleep, are you here to mock me?” 

“Can I come inside for a moment…? Es?” 

“Stop calling me that. It’s stupid and annoying.” He retorted. 

“Ah, right. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you, about tomorrow’s strategy. We’re the most skilled magical users in our team, so I thought it would be better if we coordinate accordingly.” 

“You’re the skilled one between us. I just studied to be that way.” 

“I can’t help it, I didn’t ask for this.” He explained. Esreth had never thought that there would be people not interested in magic as he was. Ever since he was little, magic was his passion and he wanted to know everything about the secrets of the universe. 

“…mh-mh. Well, it could be useful indeed.” Esreth mused. “Okay. But let’s be quick, I am a bit tired.”

The other hesitantly went into the room and Esreth closed the door. The young mage watched as the sorcerer strolled to his desk and leaned his back on it. Before Esreth was even able to start talking about anything, the other preceded him. 

“I think the mana flow is the main problem here.” He started. “I don’t know the technicalities as I was never interested in the theory.” Esreth was mildly annoyed by that comment, but let the other go on. “Mana flows naturally into my body, while for a wizard you have to make the flow of mana come to you, either by bending nature with magic and spells or by…” Azin looked hesitant for a moment. “…physically pouring mana into you.” He stopped for a moment to check for the other’s confirmation. Esreth nodded and the sorcerer continued. “Well, I’m pretty sure you’re more than able with your studies, but… maybe if you could have some mana flow directly into you… could that be of help? During your spells? Would they be more powerful?” 

Esreth wondered about that. He heard from his mentors about this process called ‘Mana transfer’. They always advised him against it, though, as sources of pure mana were very rare. He had the feeling there was something more to it, but he didn’t inquire further on the matter. But if they could transfer the magical power directly into his body, it would be helpful and useful indeed. 

“Yeah, it could be.” He started. “But mana sources are rare in this world. How are you planning on making the transfer?”

Azin widened his eyes. Could it be possible that the other didn’t know that? If a part of him was strangely relieved that he had never done something like that, the other part was a bit embarrassed because he had to explain it. Azin had a feeling that the other would not take the suggestion well. 

He took a deep breath. “Err… _I_ would be the mana source.” He didn’t know how to say it. In the past it had always been easy, the other mages he met that wanted to use him as a source always knew how to do everything and he just had to be his usual self. With Esreth, it was different. Probably, the other hated him. And he was asking him to be fucked, to blatantly put it. There was no way the other would accept it. 

Esreth looked at him, puzzled. What did he want to say? Even his mentors were being mysterious about that matter. 

“Please, Es, Esreth,” The other corrected himself promptly. He didn’t want to make the other angrier than necessary, even if it was kind of cute how riled up he got at every little thing. “Don’t make me say it, it’s embarrassing.” 

At those words, the young mage understood. It was like having the epiphany of his life. The sorcerer was talking about sex. It was indeed possible that sorcerers, as mana sources themselves, were able to transfer it to another being through their semen. He didn’t have the means to check it at the moment but that would explain a lot of things, included the reticent behavior of his mentors about the matter. ‘Oh, Gods.’ Esreth shivered at his own naivety. The answer was obvious and it was in front of him all those years, how was he so naïve to always look away from that? The occasional visits from powerful sorcerers to his temple, which he couldn’t explain given the hatred his superiors had for that class. The time they spent behind a closed door in the Main Room of the temple. Esreth looked at Azin.  
The other, seeing as he was being understood, calmed himself quite a bit. Esreth didn’t know what to do. It was true that he didn’t want to be fucked – because he had to be on the receiving end, of course, mana had to flow into him – by Azin of all people. But. He had always wanted to be more powerful. It didn’t matter how many hours he spent on his books, he knew that it wasn’t enough. As much as it hurt, he needed Azin to help him. Everything about that situation felt degrading to him, starting from the fact that he had to ask that bothersome man for help. He decided he had to do it now. If the power-up he’d get was not that much, he would stop that absurd experience immediately. But he had to try. Facing Azin, looking directly into his eyes, he told him his decision. The sorcerer’s eyes were dark and deep, it almost hurt as it seemed that they were staring right into his own soul. Azin was tall, fairly muscular, with slightly dark skin which gave him that gypsy aura he so used so much when he was flirting around. As Esreth was walking towards the other, he asked him something that had been on his mind since his realization.

“So, have you done this kind of thing before, am I right? You seemed knowledgeable about the matter.” Azin was a bit surprised by that question. But he smiled at the shorter boy anyway, drawing his most charming smile. 

“Are you sure you want to know? Didn’t think you were the type to inquire about these private matters?” Esreth stopped himself in his track. 

“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t want to know.” Azin laughed at his honesty. As he approached him, he placed a hand on the mage’s cheek and started drawing closer to his face. Esreth jumped back immediately. 

“I’m sorry, what are you doing?” His voice was nervous. 

“I’m creating the mood? I can’t get myself riled up without foreplay.” Azin defended himself. 

Esreth had no intention of indulging him. The thought of being fucked by that man was enough for him. 

“I don’t care, do it by yourself.” He complained. 

“What about you? It will hurt if you don’t…” 

Esreth was annoyed by his attitude. Was he going to treat him like an idiot for not knowing the specifics of Mana Transfer? He had been naïve about not having thought about it before, but he wasn’t that simple-minded in general. 

“I have a potion for… that. To ease the pain. I can put it on my…” The mage sighed. He would have never thought about having such a discussion with anyone, let alone a sorcerer. “Fuck, that’s embarrassing. You get it.” 

Azin, a bit surprised at the unusual language used by his teammate – he usually used such refined and complicated words, hearing him use ‘fuck’ so casually was a bit remarkable – decided it was wiser to let the other do as he preferred. He was starting to feel guilty for even thinking about proposing that. In his defense, he thought that someone like him would be used to that; all the experienced mages he provided mana for were more than accustomed to that practice. However, a part of him was a bit proud of being his first one, he had always wanted to get closer to that sulking mage. Not that he would ever say it out loud. 

“If you want, we can stop. You don’t have to force…” He was immediately stopped. 

“Are you backing down now? First, you throw the stone; then, you conceal your hand. I want to have more power, so we’re going to do it.” 

Well, if he was so keen on going along with him, he would do as he wanted. 

Taking off his trousers, Azin started to jerk himself off in front of the other, who couldn’t help but turn his gaze away. Azin thought that it would be better to stay quiet, not to anger the other more. So, he stopped every moan coming out of him in his throat. After a bit of indecision, Esreth began preparing himself too, sitting on his bed exposing pretty much everything to the other. 

Azin knew that his teammate wasn’t doing it on purpose, but fuck, that was hot. Esreth was hot. His embarrassed face, as he prepared himself with his potion, was too much for him. Letting out a sigh he couldn’t contain, he had to stop himself because if he went on he would have come immediately.

“Are you ready?” The mage’s voice was trembling. “Come here.” 

Azin tried his best to focus on everything that wasn’t the other. The situation was way too erotic for him, but he would have bet all of his money that it wasn’t the same for the mage. 

“Yeah, what about you?” 

“Fine, don’t worry.” 

Azin got closer to him, and lightly pushed his back to the bed, placing his hands on his thighs, lifting the mage’s legs in order to be able to go inside him easily. 

Esreth thought he would still feel immense pain being fucked by another guy, but the potion worked fine, besides having a collateral aphrodisiac effect which was influencing his sensations a bit too much for his tastes. Azin went inside him so easily, Esreth had to stop himself from moaning too loudly at the overwhelming feeling of being filled by the other. The sorcerer, from his part, had to concentrate greatly not to linger his eyes too much on the figure of his teammate under him, on the way he was biting his lower lip, or how his hands were gripping the sheets of his bed. The last thing he wanted was to hurt him. 

“Are you…?” Esreth didn’t let him finish. 

“Y-Yes, it’s… mh, I’m fine. The potion works.” Esreth kept his eyes away from him and purposely avoided looking at the other’s side. He wasn’t in the mood to make comparisons of _that_ sort, because, from the way he was stretching him, Azin would have won that challenge anyway. 

After several other thrusts and a few other glances he stole at his companion, the sorcerer knew he was close. He sped up his rhythm and tried to touch the other’s dick. It was hard already, which reassured him as it felt unfair that he was the only one feeling that good – together with the fact that he wanted Esreth to enjoy it too. However, the mage didn’t let his guard down, not even for a moment. As soon as he felt the other’s touch on his crotch, he immediately covered himself with his hand. 

“What… do you want to… to, ah… do?” His trembling voice mixed with please was so erotic, Azin could come just by listening to him.

“Sorry, I…” As taken in by the moment as he was, the last rational part of him advised against voicing his true intentions. “You… need to come too. Otherwise it… ah, it won’t be complete. The… transfer.” He didn’t sound convincing, it was obviously a lie, but he hoped that Esreth wasn’t in a condition where he was actually able to discern his lie. 

Esreth from his part finally decided to look into the other’s eyes; which was a bad decision, because the way Azin was looking at him, eyes half-closed and clouded with lust caused an unwanted shiver to run along his spine. He wasn’t sure that the other was telling him the truth, but he didn’t have the time nor the means to check it out himself, so he had to believe him for the time being. At any rate, he didn’t want to be touched by Azin, he didn’t want a sorcerer to make him come.

“I can do it by myself.” He managed to tell the other, as he was hesitantly touching himself. As he started to jerk off, Esreth felt the other’s stare on him and it was a bit too much for him. 

“Could you… look the other way? It’s… ah, embarrassing.” He blurted out, fighting back the urge to moan shamelessly after Azin thrust into him from a particularly good angle. Azin didn’t know that, for Esreth, there could something be more embarrassing than being fucked by his teammate on his own bed and the young mage looked too good right now, jerking himself off as he was fucking him. He reluctantly turned his eyes the other way to give him the privacy he asked – if it was even possible in that situation. 

Apparently, the effects of Esreth’s potion affected his whole body as the young man had never felt such jolts of pleasure from jerking off before. His own strokes combined perfectly with the way Azin was thrusting into him and, fighting back the urge to let out nasty sounds, Esreth found quickly that he was about to come. For his teammate, on the other hand, it took all of his self-control skills to be able to hold back. Even if he was not being vocal, he could still hear Esreth’s ragged breathing and the inaudible sighs he was letting out. Azin had always thought that his fellow magic user was somehow intriguing, but he had never had any obscene thoughts about him aside from the fact that he was a little cute. What about now? Well, Azin was sure he wouldn’t look at him as before, after ascertaining how hot he was.

A muffled moan Esreth forcibly covered with his free hand prompted Azin to look at him to find out the other had covered their stomachs with his semen. That was the last drop he could endure. Seeing the other’s expression while he was panting under him, riding out from the aftermath of his orgasm, a hand covering his mouth, the other placed on his belly, was more than enough to make Azin come hard inside the other. 

Esreth had never experienced neither direct Mana Transfer nor sex with another guy, but that was a separate matter. The feeling was overwhelming as he felt raw power flow into his whole being. 

He could only watch as the other dressed himself up, cleaning after himself. Conversely, he just covered himself with his trousers as fast as possible. He would think about cleaning when the other would leave his room for the night, which he hoped to be soon. 

Murmuring a low and awkward ‘goodnight’ to the other, Azin went silently to his room.

Esreth was so tired. He decided to go to bed when he heard the soft closing noise of his bedroom door, not caring about the fact that he would be sticky all over the following day. As soon as his head touched the bed cushion, he fell in a dreamless sleep. 

During the next morning, as the warm water of his shower was cleaning away the proof of yesterday’s events, Esreth tried to forget about every sensation he felt. He didn’t know what to think about it, he didn’t want to recall how Azin’s hands were holding his waist so firmly as he was taking him, or the amazing way he felt when the other was inside him. All those sensations were surely brought about by his potion, which in turn meant that he had been very skilled at crafting it. Consoling himself with that hope, he finished getting ready to depart for that day. 

He didn’t have time to inform himself properly on the matter of Mana Transfer right now, but he wowed to do so at the end of their journey; there were so many things he didn’t know in that vast world.

As he climbed down the stairs, he found that his fellow paladin was waiting for the others to finish preparing. Luckily, Azin wasn’t already downstairs, so he avoided the embarrassment of greeting him after… _whatever had happened last night_ , deciding to wait outside for the others.

As soon as his team engaged battle with some goblins they found along the way, Esreth found out that, woah, direct Mana Transfer was lit. His attacks were way more powerful than before and his support spells had additional bonus effects he didn’t expect them to. Afterward, his fellow teammates couldn’t stop commenting on his astounding performance and he purposely let the bard’s unsolicited comment ‘woah, you really went all out during your study session yesterday!’ go unanswered. He also did his best to avoid Azin’s deep gaze which sometimes lingered on him too much, especially after successful attacks shooting enemies in one strike. Esreth had to definitely try to perform another Mana Transfer soon. For the sake of his team. 

After all, the ending pretty much justified the means.

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction joins the cowt contest for the 6th week. Prompt was love/hate.


End file.
